Palo Alto Art Center Presents 'Community Creates' Discussion Series November 14, 2012

Nov. 14, 2012, January 16, 2013; April 12, 2013, 7-10pm

The Palo Alto Art Center and Djerassi Resident Artists Program will present a series of lively discussions showcasing artistic inspiration and process. Featuring artists included in "Community Creates" along with their community collaborators, these talks provide an insider's perspective into the underlying motivation to create and the materials used in the process. All talks are free of charge and will be held at the Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Road in Palo Alto. The schedule includes:

Mutual Gifts: Saying Yes to Trust, Wednesday, November 14, at 7 p.m.

In this behind-the-scenes perspective on the "Community Creates" exhibition, learn what happens when a museum places trust in artists, and artists in turn place trust in community, in order to create an engaging and community-centered exhibition. What are the opportunities for the community, the museum, and the participating artists, and what are the risks?

Is the Medium the Message?, Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 7 p.m.

Learn unique insights into the materials that artists use to create their work. "Community Creates!" artists working in a diverse range of media will share the role that materials play in their work, and the challenges and benefits of engaging community members with those materials.

Representing Community, Friday, April 12, 2013 at 7 p.m.

Popular culture, nature in the urban and suburban environment, the role of technology in enhancing and inhibiting our lives, the power of objects to signify identity-the installations in "Community Creates" explore a broad range of timely issues.